WO 2010/037839 describes a method for guiding a person in a building, in which at specified points (doors, paths, junctions, lifts, etc.) information points are present, that are either actively connected to an EDP computer system or passively not connected to any EDP system, wherein each information point stores its own local position code. By means of a guiding application on their mobile device, the person can enter their disability and a destination. If while on the route to their final destination the person enters the coverage area of an information point, the mobile device receives the position code of this information point and then information for their guidance is determined. The information for the guidance is communicated to the person either visually or acoustically using the mobile device.
Although WO 2010/037839 describes a means for guiding a person, there may be situations in which the communication of the guidance information for the person may not be unique, in particular if the person is either almost or completely blind, because the interpretation of the guidance information can depend on the direction in which the person, and therefore the mobile device, are oriented. For example, an instruction “straight ahead” leads in the opposite direction if the person turns through 180°.
US 2005/0099291 describes a system for guiding people whose eyesight is impaired. The system comprises a central computer and Audio Beacons, which are controllable thereby. If a person wants route guidance in this system, they use their mobile telephone to enter a destination. The computer thereupon determines the path to the destination, calculates the distances between the audio beacons and activates the audio beacons. The position of a person in this system is determined by means of RFID technology. Because additional RFID devices are required for the purpose, the complexity of the system is increased.
There is therefore a need for an improved technology for route guidance.